


Snapshots

by inky_dreams



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grant Wilson is Ravager, Grant Wilson is Renegade, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Not Canon Compliant, Slade is an okay dad, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29796369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inky_dreams/pseuds/inky_dreams
Summary: What if Jason Todd and Grant Wilson met as children in Gotham, and became close friends?Would it impact their fate, or would it stay the same?A series of snapshots from their childhood to their second chance at life.
Relationships: Grant Wilson & Slade Wilson, Jason Todd & Grant Wilson
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Snapshots

Jason froze at the sight, how did anyone manage to break in? This was one of his most secure safehouses. It was kept hidden from everyone, including the Bats.

_Click._

He unlocks the safety on his gun, “Who sent you?”

“...” Instead of responding, the figure turns around with his hands in mock surrender.“Is that really how you are going to treat an old friend, Jace?”

Jason freezes in horror at the sight in front of him. “H-how?”

A ~~dead~~ man was standing in front of him, someone who he hadn't seen in years. Not since their last argument...

“Aww...come on. I know it's been a while since we last saw each other. But this is such a cold welcome back.” the man teases. 

Jason ignores his joke, “...prove that you are real, not a hallucination. I went to your grave, you bastard. Did you fake your death?”

“NO! Do you really think that low of me?” The speaker huffs in indignation, “Fine, at our first meeting…”

* * *

* * *

**First Meeting**

Grant was really starting to regret his choices now. Why did he agree to come with his dad to Gotham? He had been complaining that there was nothing to do, and now it seemed the universe had decided to remedy that. 

_Huff huff_

Looking back behind him, he seemed to have lost the gang. 

_Or not._ He soon heard the sound of running getting louder. 

_Crap. There was no way to go… except there_

Running into the alley, he slipped behind a stack of crates and crouched down. 

“Hey, kid-” 

_Shit, had they managed to find him?_

“-have you seen a kid in a white hoodie come by?” 

Peeking out, he notices a small child sitting on the steps of a building across from him. There’s no way the kid didn’t see him run in there. _Crap._

The kid catches him peeking out but doesn’t say anything. Yet. 

“Well?” the gang member demands.

“I dunno, I don’t keep track of anyone that comes by, ya know” responds the boy.

“Come on boss, he’s obviously a waste of time. What’s a snot-nosed brat like him going to know?”

The boy scowls at the description of him but doesn’t offer any other information to them.

“Whatever, this was a waste of time. The brat is probably gone now. Who knows where he got off to now?”

_Whew._

He remains hidden a little longer, waiting for the gang to leave. Soon after, the boy disappears into the building. Finally, he gets up from his hiding place.

* * *

* * *

**Bonding**

The next time Grant sees the kid, he’s in the same spot. This time, he’s got his nose stuck in a comic book, oblivious to his surroundings. 

“Hey.” 

Without looking up the kid mutters “Whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it”

“What? No- I just wanted to thank you for last time.”

“Huh?”, the kid finally looks up to see him. “Oh, it’s you. It’s fine, no skin off my nose.”

_Well… this is awkward. Technically, he could just leave. But somehow, he feels like he shouldn’t leave yet._

“Did you want something?”

“Ah… no” Grant stammers, finding himself stuck in this awkward atmosphere. “Oh? Is that the new volume of Captain Ace?”

“Yes, have you read it?” The boy perks up in interest. 

“Yes, but I thought that the ending was too dramatic”

“No way, it’s a comic. It’s supposed to be dramatic.”

The two struck up a rather heated debate and when the topic had run dry, the two had switched to other topics. He was surprised to find similar interests with the kid. 

Neither had noticed the time pass by quickly. It was nearly time to head back, otherwise, his dad would come out looking for him.

“I guess I’ll see you around…” _Right, he never gave his name._

“It’s Grant.”

“Well, if you’re ever in Gotham for a while, we should meet up again.”

“Sure, I’ll see you around Jason.”

~~~ 

For the rest of his stay in Gotham, he would slip out to meet Jason whenever he had free time. The two spent the rest of his stay exploring Gotham. Whether it meant going to the arcade, the cinema or just wandering around the city. 

That was only the beginning of his many visits to Gotham. Whenever his dad went to Gotham, he would always tag along. 

Slade had raised an eyebrow at his eagerness, but let him follow along. Eventually, Slade found the reason for his visits. In turn, Grant found out the reason for Slade’s constant trips, Jason had been present too. He’s grateful that his friend stayed, even after everything was revealed.

~~~

It’s at his next visit to Gotham that he worries. He had arrived at Jason’s place, planning to surprise him. But just as he was going to approach the door, he noticed a different family exiting the home.

_Why hadn’t Jason mentioned that he moved? Had something happened to him?_

_But he had kept regular updates to Grant through their emails._

Wandering around Gotham, he visits areas that the two had frequented in the past. Lost in his musings, he startles when he hears a familiar voice.

“Grant, what are you doing here?”

“Jace?”

“Yeah.”

“I-I... I was in town, and thought that I’d drop by.” Grant points an accusatory finger, “You moved, but you didn’t tell me.”

“Hey! I was gonna, but I didn’t know you were dropping by anytime soon.” 

“Whatever, you’re here now. You still up for chilli dogs?”

Jason laughs “When have I ever turned down a chilli dog?”

* * *

* * *

**New York pt.1**

“Can you believe it, she said that? That I wouldn’t live up to his legacy! As if, I’d want to be like _that dick._ ”

Grant hmms distractedly. 

“Are you even listening, Grant?”

“Yep.”

“You have no idea what I’ve been talking about, do you?”

“Yep.”

“So… you’d be fine if I’d just left now?”

“Ye-wait, wait no, don’t leave.” Grant says in a hurry “you only just got here.”

"Yet you’ve been distracted this whole time.” points out Jason accusingly.

“Ok, ok, you’ve got a point. But you’ve been rambling about this for a while.”

Jason reddens in embarrassment “Sorry… it’s just you’re the only one I can talk to about this. Everyone else on the team doesn’t really care about me. They mostly see me as his replacement. At the best, they are indifferent.”

“Wait... I have an idea.” Grant turns to him with a smirk “Are you interested in getting one over them?”

“The Titans?”

“Who else? Besides how many people can they say that they pranked them?”

“Hmm…” Jason looks lost in thought before he mirrors Grant’s smirk, “Let’s do it.”

“Well come on then. Get changed though, I’m not having Robin ruin Ravager’s street cred.” teases Grant.

“Street cred.” Jason snorts, “As if, you have any. But yeah, that would be pretty shitty for team morale if Robin and Ravager teamed up against the Titans.”

* * *

* * *

**New York pt.2**

“Grant...I don’t think you should-”

“Really, Jace?” Grant is annoyed “I thought that you would be supportive.”

“Think about it, a random company offering to give you powers. Of course, I wouldn’t agree.”

“Why the hell not?”

“That’s the most sketchy scheme I’ve heard, and I’ve seen a lot as Robin. There’s got to be a catch.”

“Well, there isn’t.”

They’ve had this conversation a million times, it never ends well. Usually, they grudgingly agree to drop it. But for some reason, Jason is intent on getting his point across today.

“There’s no way, it will end well. Grant, please. H.I.V.E sounds like a cult, you’ve changed since you’ve started working with them.”

“People can change, Jason. And I haven’t, you’re the one who’s changed. You were supportive of me when I first started working with them. Now you’ve done a complete 180.”

“Maybe cause I don’t want _my friend_ to get hurt! Look at you, you’re being drafted into human experimentation,” yells Jason.

“I don’t need your worry! I can take care of myself, I know what I’m getting into.”

“You sure about that?” sneers Jason, “Sure doesn’t look like it.”

“Jason, please. It’s nothing that bad, they’ve already started it and there haven’t been any side effects.”

_They only said not to use it too often, which he wouldn’t be doing anytime soon._

“You’ve already started it?!” Jason’s voice rises in volume.

“Look, it’s not as bad as you are making it out to be. They only want me to go on the field to test them. It’s only a simple field mission, nothing I haven’t done before. I get that you’re worried, but I promise I won’t get hurt. When I get back, you can see for yourself. And if I get hurt, you can call me stupid in as many ways as you want. Also, human experimentation isn’t all that bad. How else would medicine be advancing without human volunteers?”

“Grant. What the FUCK? First, that’s different. Second, this is H.I.V.E., they are practically a criminal organization-”

It’s at this point that Grant finally gives in to his annoyance.

“What are you jealous of, that you are no longer that special? That they didn’t approach you because they didn’t think you were a good match?” 

Jason glares in response.

In the heat of the moment Grant adds, “If you get so jealous over little things, no wonder Nightwing hates your guts.”

“...Are you serious, right now?” demands Jason.

“...” _Shit, he shouldn’t have said that._ “Wait, Jas-” Grant tries to apologize.

“You know what? Fine. Go be a human guinea pig or whatever, I don’t care.” Jason shoves him away, grabbing his bag. “Don’t bother following me. And don’t call me, when it goes to hell.”

_Fuck._

_It was all his fault. Why couldn’t his brain at least filter anything before he said the first thing that popped into his mind? And he hadn't even meant it either. He had only wanted Jason to stop getting on his case about H.I.V.E._

Now he’s alone and miserable, having chased off his best friend all thanks to his big mouth. 

~~~

Grant sighs in remorse, running his hands through his hair. After the incident, he went out to search for Jason. He had searched the city from top to bottom, coming up with no traces. Jason must have gone back to Gotham. Batman wouldn’t appreciate Ravager appearing. This left only one option, messaging him. He had texted Jason multiple times, but he must have turned the communicator off. Since every single one of his messages had been ignored.

A H.I.V.E. worker interrupts his thoughts, “Ravager, are you ready? The higher-ups want to talk to you before you go out for your mission.”

“Give me a minute.”

“Well, hurry up. You don’t want to keep them waiting.”

Grant looks down at the communicator again. He’s in the middle of typing out another apology to Jason. _Hmm… he’ll send it after the mission. He still needs to finish it, he’s not sending a half-assed apology to Jason._

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Before he heads out for his mission, he hears the beep indicating that he'd received a message. The thought that it might be Jason briefly crosses his mind, but he pushes it to the back of his mind. He had to stay focused. He'll check it after the mission.

~~~

Unfortunately, he never gets the chance to send his message or check his messages.

The communicator is left forgotten in his pocket. It's owner buried six feet under.

* * *

* * *

**The funeral**

“I’m sorry Grant. I shouldn’t have ignored your messages. I wish… I should have...” cries Jason. “It was a stupid argument…”

In Jason’s misery, he misses the grieving father in the background. Slade leaves the two alone, not wanting to intrude. As he leaves, he hears the whispers of running to Ethiopia. 

He regrets his decision a week later when Jason Todd is announced dead from an explosion in Ethiopia. While the death was reported as an accident to the public, the underworld was abuzz with the news. 

Joker had been bragging to anyone who would listen that he had killed a birdie. Everyone had looked to Batman, who had been patrolling alone in Gotham. Within the year, Robin reappeared by his side. _That_ one had been new, no matter what Batman tried to insist.

Some nights, he wonders if he could have prevented another child’s death if he had kept an eye out on the second Robin.

~~~

Months later, Deathstroke returns the favour. He visits the grave of the kid, the kid who made his eldest laugh more than he ever had. 

“I’m sorry kid… you and Grant deserved better. Neither of you deserved the cards you were dealt.”

As he leaves, he hopes that the two are together and happy in the afterlife. 

Years later, when he is approached by the Demon’s daughter to train the second Robin, he agrees without much discussion. It’s the least he could do for Grant’s best friend. Even after his training, he kept vague tabs on Red Hood. 

So when his eldest comes back to life and inquires about his friend, he directs him back to Gotham with a list of GPS coordinates.

* * *

* * *

**The Present**

“So do you believe me now?” asks the man Grant.

Jason is silent, just staring at Grant in blank shock. 

“Jace?” asks Grant in a worried tone. _He didn’t break his friend, did he?_

_Oof_

Grant finds himself in a tight hug. 

“You’re an ass, Grant.” 

“I promised that I would come back, didn’t I?”

~~~

When the underworld sparked with rumours around Red Hood and his new partner, Renegade, Slade had laughed out loud.

It didn't take much for him to guess who Renegade was. Of course, the two had found each other and reconnected. They really were two for two.


End file.
